The name of our parish, Emmanuel, means “God with us”. We strive to live within this understanding and spiritual assurance in all we do.

The Episcopal Church is a denomination within the larger body of churches of the Christian faith tradition. We are a part of the Anglican Communion, a world-wide body of more than 38 autonomous churches with common roots in the Church of England. Here in northern Illinois, we are one of 120+ parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.

The Episcopal Church believes in the Incarnation – the mystery that God is made known to us in the human form of Jesus, i.e., God “taking on flesh” to be with us.

As Episcopalians:

We are followers of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We uphold the Bible and worship with the Book of Common Prayer.

We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person.

We welcome both men and women to be ordained as bishops, priests, and deacons.

We believe in amendment of life, the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting.

We affirm that committed relationships are lifelong and monogamous. Episcopalians also recognize that there is grace after divorce and do not deny the sacraments to those who have been divorced.

We affirm that issues such as birth control are matters of personal informed conscience.

We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before uniformity of opinion.

For more in-depth information, please contact the Rector of the parish or consult the section of our Book of Common Prayer entitled “An Outline of the Faith” that serves as the Episcopal Church’s Catechism and outline for instruction in the faith.